Luxury Resorts & Your Fashion Sense

Point A to Point B, Point B to Point C… and after a visit to each dingy corner of the world, all the way back to Point A – this is the kind of life that most of us lead. If we had a penny for every time we ground our teeth, we would be rich beyond our wildest imaginations. As it is, most of us can afford a yearly trip to a luxury resort. In fact, we look forward to when we can manage the feat of taking out time for the much deserved break.

What happens when we reach the resort though? We are so tired and jaded that we end up wearing the same old, drab, boring business suits and feel like fish out of water in a bay that is full of sumptuous little sea creatures.

Luxury resorts inspire, nay, require a change in one’s fashion sense. Between the beaches, spas, and glam dinners, there’s a lot of fashion inspiration to be found at luxury resorts. So the big question is – how do these centres of luxury influence our fashion sense? There’s a certain level of glamorous confidentiality involved here which most of us, in our work induced haze, fail to root out immediately. We are here to disabuse these secrets out of the woodwork and into your soon-to-be decked up lap.

What do scones signify to you? Don’t they represent the British penchant for being subtle and neutral? Scones on the beach – this is the most oddest of combinations you can think of right? That’s precisely why these two things don’t belong together. You want to keep up with the sky blue water, the golden sands, and the multihued umbrellas in your piña coladas. If you’re a lady then you want to be a lady in a sarong. If you’re a gentleman then you want tan shorts and pastel tees.

And whatever you do, avoid leather footwear at all costs. Go for canvas, instead. Choose accessories that revolve around scarves, hats, and ribbons. Your hair needs to be set free too. Let it blow wildly, even if you’re a woman. Men must choose the mussed up look over the ‘I’m the banker who never invested in any style in his life’; the women must go for chilled out over ‘I am too snooty to see beyond my gowns’. Abide by these rules when you’re at a beach luxury resort and you’ll fit right in. Who knows, you may even end up leading a fashionista beach train!

It’s very easy to don your Don Corleone business suit at a conventional, typically formal, luxury resort. However, we’ll make you an offer that you can't refuse (use the appropriate tone please). Dress casual at such places. Don’t go overboard though and turn into one of those rebellious weirdoes / freaks or you just may be shot for your poor fashion decisions. You want neutral colours. This means leopard prints stay inside your pants. Colours like black, brown, white, cream, and grey tend to go really well with the whole timber and teak motif that is staple in most of these types of luxury resorts.

Yes, you can go for tan pants but you can't go with canvas shoes. Yes, you can wear T-shirts in the above mentioned colours but you can't wear prints. Finally, formal wear that is not business wear will go well too if you’re going to the customary ball. For women, the trick is to use accessories such as jewellery and handbags in combination with tastefully chosen outfits. Pick things that whisper panache and suave as opposed to those that call out ‘look hither, look hither, why won’t you look at me!’ Even evening gowns are good if you can tone down things and not turn old dignified men into lechers. Tuxedos are good for men as well but, please oh please, leave the bow out of it!

And then there is the luxury resort which every woman dreams of. Men are increasingly getting interested in spas too. It’s easy for men at spa luxury resorts as long as they don’t start fashion sparring with each other over the attentions of the ladies. For the ladies, though, it’s important to remember that the primary purpose of a spa luxury resort is to relax.

This means leaving your makeup packed. It means keeping your gowns in the box. It means no hats, no accessories, and no jewellery. It means just your skin with maybe a gown or a towel. You want to look natural, you want to feel natural, and you want to get lost in those magical fingers caressing and kneading your overworked muscles. Besides, the best spas have some of the most effective beauty treatments and packages. Who needs to hide behind a makeup after just taking a cream / milk / chocolate bath? As for colours? Go crazy!

Boutique luxury resorts are a class apart, literally. In such resorts, everyone brings out their A-game and you must too. If you aren’t carrying your best gown or tuxedo, invest in one. If you can't spare the money, don’t go out and try to enjoy the room service. These boutique luxury resorts require a certain display of elegance, grace, and quality. As soon as you step inside one, you'll see elaborate golden chandeliers, glorious furnishings, and even classy help.

You can't be casual here. All the colours you wear must be formal and royal in look. Men must wear jackets and possibly ties. Shades of black, brown, and blue are ideal for men if chosen for their contrasting qualities. While the men are limited to shades of only a few colours, it’s the women who can truly revel in such settings. Ravishing red, sparkling blue, bright yellow, sequins, pearls, velvet, cocktail rings, gold, and diamonds are all available to you to use. Backless, off the shoulder, body draping, train trailing, satin, and silk are all fine descriptions for your gowns too. Sky is your limit, ladies. Go ahead, take a leap, and soar into the clouds!

There are two fashion faux pas dangers that you'll face when you visit a skiing luxury resort. The first is that your attire is so uncomfortable that you are either scratching in places where the sun doesn’t shine or you’re so cold that you’re shivering like a bristly porcupine. Your priority must be comfortable clothes with lots of layering to keep the chill out. The second fashion threat is that of sweat. Nothing destroys the sense of fashion than sweat patches or stains.

Have you ever thought your handyman is fashion conscious? Of course not. So, comfort gets combined with the material of your clothes. Good quality leather is a good option when it comes to your gloves. Turtle fur or something similar will add the dash of style while keeping you comfortable and warm. In terms of colours, you again have to choose contrasts. Something that stands out in the snow. Fluorescent colours do especially well in such settings. Try to stay away from prints though. However, at ski luxury resorts, what will set you apart is your equipment. You want the best goggles, the best boots, the best skis etc.

How luxury resorts define your fashion and style is no different from how you define your fashion and style in general. It’s all about the environment or setting you'll be in.

If you consider the resort in advance and understand what your activities will be, there’s no reason why you won’t set blood rushing, hearts breaking, and wolves howling when you saunter out of your room.